


Everything I'll Ever Need

by blueboxesandtrafficcones



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Awkwardness, Dream Sex, Dry Humping, F/M, Oral Sex, Pete's World, Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 04:50:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13651779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/pseuds/blueboxesandtrafficcones
Summary: The first twenty-four hours in Rose and TenToo's new life in Pete's World.  Certain things are settled immediately, though they know there's a long road ahead.





	Everything I'll Ever Need

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a prompt, then posted for TenToo's Day yesterday (Feb. 10, or 10/2).

Hand in hand, they stared at the sandy imprint left by the TARDIS for long minutes.  Eventually a seagull flew by squawking, breaking Rose from her thoughts.

“It’ll be dark soon, we should probably call a cab and head for Bergen,” she murmured to the Doctor, who raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah,” he replied hesitantly, and they slowly made their way to where Jackie was sitting on a rock, messing with her mobile.

“I’m trying to see if anyone’ll deliver out this way,” her mother said as soon as they were within earshot; she never looked up from her phone.  “So far, nothing.”

“We’ll get something in town, there was an all-night place last time that wasn’t awful,” Rose shrugged, half-explaining to the Doctor.

Jackie snorted.  “I’m not waitin’ that long – besides, nothing better to do here.”

“Did you call a cab yet?  How long til they come?”  Rose asked, and her mother looked up for the first time, eyes widening in disbelief.

“Course not, only takes half an hour to get out here.  I’m not payin’ a driver to sit here and wait hours.”

The Doctor noted with interest that for some reason Jackie’s comment made Rose flush; in the dusky light, he thought she looked rather beautiful.  Not that he didn’t always.

“Mum!” she hissed, glancing at him.  “We’re not waitin’.”

“We’re not?”  Jackie’s jaw dropped.

“No.”  Rose’s firm tone and hard gaze invited no questions, but the Doctor was never one for heeding warning signs.

“Why would we wait?  Wait for what?”

The older woman snorted, smirking at her daughter as she answered dryly, “Rose has always made us wait – first in that bloody room the day we arrived here, then again the last time we were on this beach.”

“Really?  Wait for what?” he was genuinely confused, and his brow furrowed when Jackie gave a full on laugh.

“For you, ya plum.  ‘I gotta wait, Mum, five and a half hours.’  Nonsense, cause you never showed, but she insisted.”

“Mum!”  He’d never seen Rose more embarrassed, and the fury in the gaze directed at her mother made him want to take a step back and prepare for a slap, even though it wasn’t aimed at him.

“What?”  Exasperated, Jackie rolled her eyes.  “It’s true – we all know it.  No sense lyin’ about it or pretending it’s not.”

Rose scowled out towards the ocean, a distant look in her eye before sighing.  “We’re not waiting.  Let’s start heading home.”

Her mother didn’t look convinced.  “You really don’t want to wait to see if the Doctor comes back?”

She shook her head slowly.  “No.  He’s already here.”

The Doctor couldn’t help himself; he looked around, glancing over his shoulder expecting his Time Lord self to be striding forward, exclaiming, _No, sorry, can’t do it.  She’s mine_.  When he turned back to the two Tyler women they were watching him with identical looks of fond exasperation, though Jackie’s had a touch more resignation.

“Right, me!  I knew that.”  If he’d been wearing a tie he’d of straightened it, but he merely scrabbled at his neck for several seconds before lowering his hand sheepishly.

Rose smirked at him.  “Mum, can you call for a car?  I need a minute on my own.”

When her mother nodded, she finally dropped the Doctor’s hand; he must have made a noise, because she gave him a reassuring smile.  “I’ll be right back – I just need a few minutes.  Mum promises not to slap you while I’m gone.”

Jackie’s noncommittal hum didn’t exactly inspire confidence, but Rose had walked away before he could protest.

The moment she was out of earshot, he asked with deliberate casualness, “She made you wait?”

“‘Course.  Somethin’ ‘bout promisin’ to always wait,” Jackie tossed out, putting her mobile up to her ear.  “Yeah, hi, I need a cab.  A cab.  A car.  To hire?”

“Oh, give me that,” the Doctor muttered, snatching the phone.  In thirty seconds and perfect Norwegian, he’d arranged to have a taxi pick them up and bring chips, expected to arrive within the hour.  Handing the mobile back to Jackie, he caught her rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, you haven’t changed a bit,” she commented, before walking off towards Rose.

Staring after them, he wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into.

-

“Right, here’s your room key.  I’ll see you at nine for breakfast.  We’ve just got to be at the airfield for noon.  Good night.”  Walking back from the inn’s front desk, Jackie thrust a key at her daughter and turned away.

“Hang on, what about the Doctor?”  Rose called after her, and Jackie turned back to roll her eyes.

“D’you really need two keys?  It’s twelve hours.”

“He needs a room, Mum,” Rose argued, and her mother raised an eyebrow.

“I assumed he’d be sharing with you.”

Not waiting for an answer, Jackie headed up the stairs calling over her shoulder, “Keep in mind I’m in the room next door, so try not to be _too_ loud, will you?”

Another guest sitting in the lobby raised their eyebrow at Rose and the Doctor over their newspaper, and the two flushed.

“Er, looks like we’re sharing.  That all right?”  Rose fidgeted with the heavy key, not making eye contact.

“Yeah, suppose.  Um, lead on,” the Doctor shrugged, slowly following her up the stairs and to the room they’d been assigned for the night.

Opening the door, Rose took one step inside and froze.  Peering over her shoulder, the Doctor noted the simple room contained a desk, a queen size bed, two doors that presumably led to a closet and toilet, and nothing else.

“It’s… quaint,” the Doctor commented, scratching at his neck.

“Yeah.”  Rose pushed on and he entered behind her, shutting the door and throwing the lock.  “Brilliant.”

She continued staring at the bed, and he moved around her to flop on it lengthwise.

“Oh, come on, we’ve stayed places far worse than this,” he cajoled, “our quarters in the Tower weren’t nearly so nice.”

“I suppose.”  She cracked a smile at that, and he grinned back.

“Are you all right with sharing, though?” Rose asked, shrugging out of her leather jacket and sitting at the desk to take off her shoes.

He debated himself for a moment, before shrugging.  “I’d rather not let you out of my sight just yet, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Me too.”  Looking relieved, Rose came to stand beside the bed, close to where his head lay.  “D’ya want the shower first?”

“No, go ahead,” he gestured, and she headed for one of the doors.  Getting the bathroom on the first try, she looked over her shoulder before entering.

“I’ll leave the door cracked?”

“Trust me not to try to join you?” he joked, and she sent him a flirty smile.

“Maybe I’m hoping for it.”

She disappeared through the door, closing it most of the way but leaving it open enough he could hear her moving around.

As the Doctor listened to the sounds of her stripping and starting the water, he realized several things.  First – he had no desire to run.  He usual would, on nights like this when he was stuck without the TARDIS, and she’d have to talk him down.  Two – Rose was _here_.  With him.  Forever.  C – he was more human in the physical sense than anticipated.

He tried to adjust himself in his trousers, but they were now far too tight and incredibly uncomfortable.  Shrugging, he rose from the bed and stripped down to his pants and the t-shirt he’d worn under the suit jacket before settling under the covers, hoping Rose still preferred the same side she had before.

He’d just stretched out when the water stopped running, and only a minute later she appeared similarly dressed in her knickers and vest top, toweling dry her hair.  She was still damp, and her thin clothing clung like a second skin.  The Doctor gulped, sliding his foot up so his knee created a tent of covers over him, hoping to hide his burgeoning reaction.

“Done?” he asked, swallowing hard as she came closer, leaning against the bed on her side.

“Yep, feel a lot better too.  Your turn.”

“Ah… maybe not,” he shrugged, not particularly inclined to move and hoping his _issue_ would disappear on its own, given that willing it away wasn’t working as it always had before. 

Her eyes flicked over him, lingering for a moment on about where his hips were before she smirked slightly.  “Sure?  You could… take a moment for yourself, if need be.”

The knowing look in her eye made him blush, and he again cursed his new biology.  “Ah, yep.  Good idea.”  He gingerly slid out of bed, trying to keep his hips turned away from her.

“If you decide to wank, make sure to use a bit of conditioner!” she called after him, barely containing her giggles until after he’d firmly shut the door behind him.

Climbing into the bed, she snuggled down to wait for him.  Intending to only close her eyes for a minute, she fell quickly asleep.

-

_She moans, nails scratching at his back as he moves above her, filling her perfectly on every thrust.  “Yes!  Doctor, please,” she begs, and he chuckles in her ear._

_“You like that?”  He sucks at her neck, leaving dark bruises in his wake as he carefully marks her._

_“Unh, yeah,” she whines, face screwing up as she fights for release._

_“Rose,” he pants in her ear, hips moving frantically against her.  “Rose, Rose,-”_

“Rose?”  She woke with a gasp, bolting upright and almost knocking heads with the Doctor, who was leaning over her.

“Whoa!”  He pulled back in time to avoid a collision, peering at her in worry.  “Are you all right?  You were moaning and thrashing in your sleep.”

“Uh, yeah, ‘m fine,” she muttered, flushing as she remembered her dream.  It had been a _long_ time, and while tonight wasn’t the night to fix that, the knowledge didn’t soothe the ache between her thighs.

“Sure?”

“Uh huh.  How was your shower?”

It was the Doctor’s turn to go red, and she hid a smile.  “Time for bed, I think,” she said, just as he let out a yawn.

They both paused at the un-Doctorish action, and he frowned.

“I hope I’m not going to develop your bad habits of sleeping my life away,” he grumped, deciding to crawl over her to his side rather than walk around the bed.

“Oh, you’ll see the perks of staying in bed,” she promised, giving him a cheeky grin as she savored the weight of him pressing her into the mattress.

“Will I now?”  It was obvious he’d tried for levity, but his tone fell just short into insecurity.

“If you want,” Rose shrugged, reaching over to extinguish the bedside lamp next to her.

“Do _you_ want?” he countered, putting out his own lamp and plunging the room into darkness.  They each rolled onto their side, so close their noses were mere inches apart and Rose could see his face even in the darkness.

“I didn’t spend all that time working my way back to you cause I missed alien planets,” she rolled her eyes.  “I told you – it was so I could come back to _you_.”

His expression fell, and he rolled onto his other side.  “Right, course.  Busy day, should get some rest.  Good night.”

“Doctor?”  She raised an eyebrow at his back, waiting a moment before she scooted closer, molding herself against him.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Rose, go to sleep.”

“Doctor.”

He sighed heavily, but didn’t reply.

“Doctor, please.”

It was her quiet plea that got him, and he slowly shifted around to face her.

“It wasn’t me,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“You didn’t tell _me_ – you must have said it after I put the regeneration energy into the hand.  You said it to him.”

The Doctor watched Rose’s face carefully, but she merely shrugged one shoulder.

“I was basically saying that we built this dimension cannon so I could come home.  Only thing was, it started to work and we realized – I realized – that everything, every version of reality was dying, Void included.”

Rose hesitated slightly before asking, “I’m not doubting you, but on the beach you said you had the same memories and everything, but now you’re saying you don’t?”

“I do,” he promised, “right up to the energy going into the hand.  After that, the next thing I remember is waking up on the TARDIS, she’s on fire and Donna’s panicking.  Everything I am transfers with the energy – only this time I regenerated into two bodies, instead of one.”

“Right.  I’m gonna need a more thorough explanation, but that can wait until tomorrow – we’ve got an incredibly long zeppelin ride ahead of us.”

He nodded slowly, before asking, “Rose?”

“Mhmm?”  She was fading fast, but she managed to pry one eye open.

“Can we have a cuddle?”

Rose’s face split into a wide grin, and she quickly rolled around before scooting back into him.  “Good?”

He rearranged himself behind her, molding along her back and working one knee between hers.  “Perfect.”

It was the best night’s sleep either had had in years.

-

Rose startled awake, something in the darkness disturbing her.  Her Torchwood training kicked in, and she held her breath as she tried to identify what it was.

It took a moment, but the first thing that processed was the large, warm body pressed against her back.  The second thing was that this body was rhythmically pressing against her, and letting off soft sighs and moans in her ear with every moment.

The fragments suddenly coalesced, and she realized exactly what was happening; _the Doctor was dry humping against her_.

The thought was so absurd she burst into giggles, though she managed to quell them almost immediately.  He didn’t even pause, and she figured he was probably sound asleep, merely working out a dream against her.

“Doctor?” she whispered, just to verify, and his only response was to moan into her ear. 

Biting her lip, she tried to decide what to do.  Now that she understood and was wide awake, she could identify his arm around her waist, anchoring her to him; his head nestled against hers, his breath puffing in her ear; and the gloriously hard length of him throbbing against her bum cheeks as he pushed against her through two sets of pants.

Despite his being asleep, the sensuality of the moment in the middle of the night awoke long-buried desires and she could feel herself growing wet at every groan he let out as he thrust forward.  Unable to stop herself she began rocking back against him; he let out a happy hum, grip tightening around her waist.

It took only a minute or two of rutting for him to stiffen before he moaned her name and relaxed, drifting deeper into sleep with release.

Rose lay awake for a long time, wondering where they would go from here.

-

When Rose awoke the next morning the Doctor was dressed again, seated at the desk and going through his pockets.

“Morning,” she croaked, and he paused momentarily.

“Morning!” he squeaked, before clearing his throat and trying again at a more normal tone.  “Morning, Rose.  Sleep well?”

“Mhmm,” she sighed, sitting up and stretching her arms over her head.  He didn’t turn, but she could see him watching in the mirror, and bit her lip to hide a smirk as she over exaggerated the movement.

Climbing out of bed, she came over to press herself to his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and down his chest.  “You?”

“Huh?” he remarked brilliantly, not quite managing to meet her eyes in the mirror.

“Did you sleep well?” she repeated, and the way his ears turned red told her he was aware of his nighttime _activities_.

“Uh, yeah, never woke up,” he said truthfully, swallowing hard before asking, “How about you?”

He was clearly nervous, and she made a split-second decision to lie.  “No, never woke up.  Haven’t had such a good night’s sleep in ages.”

The Doctor relaxed, finally releasing his jacket to pat clumsily at her hands.  “Me either.”

They simply enjoyed the moment, happy to be reunited, and if Rose closed her eyes she could almost imagine they were back on the TARDIS.

Jackie’s knock on the door shattered the illusion, and they jerked apart at the interruption.

“Oi!  Time to crawl out of bed you lot, breakfast’ll be over soon and we’ve got to get a move on!” Rose’s mother called, not waiting for a response; they could hear her moving down the hall and talking loudly on her mobile.

-

The three ate in silence, and Rose couldn’t help but notice the Doctor picking at his food.

“All right?”

“Hmm?”  His head jerked up to look at her, and it seemed to take a moment for him to focus.  “Yes, fine.  Just thinking about starting over again with nothing.”

“Well, not nothing,” Rose reminded him, and he gave her a half-grin.

“True.  I’ve got you.”

Her eyes widened in response, and she flushed.  He misread her reaction, however, and his smile dropped.  “Sorry – I shouldn’t have assumed the offer was still good.  I’ve got plenty in my pockets – anything could be in there.  Could probably make do.”

“You do have me,” she reassured him after a moment.  “However you want.  I just meant the TARDIS coral he gave you.”

“Oh, that?” the Doctor shrugged.  “Yeah, I might as well plant it and see what happens.”

“Sorry, what offer?”  Jackie interrupted.  “What’re you talking about?”

Rose and the Doctor exchanged looks, before Rose explained carefully, “We got stuck once, without the TARDIS.  It was hairy for a bit, and we might’ve had to settle down.  I had suggested we could do that, well, together.”  She turned to him, promising firmly, “I meant it then, and it’s still good.  More than good.  Ideal, actually.  To me, at least.  If I’m enough.”

“Oh, Rose,” he murmured, cupping her cheek with his palm.  “How could you possibly doubt – how could you not _know_ – love, you’re always enough.”

“So are you,” she replied in the same quiet tone.  “TARDIS or no TARDIS, amongst the stars or here on Earth.”

His smile, the first really since they’d been abandoned, shone more brilliantly than any she’d ever seen.  She’d just leaned in to kiss him when-

“Ahem,” Jackie cleared her throat loudly.  “People are trying to eat, you know.  This is why I got you a separate room from me.”

The couple pulled back, both blushing at her insinuation.

“Mum!” Rose hissed, glancing around the small dining room.  “Please!”

Her mother merely rolled her eyes.  “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.  Just remember to use protection.”

“Oh my _God_ ,” Rose muttered, face flaming as she slid down in her seat.

“Oh, we’re all grownups,” Jackie dismissed.  “I know all about passionate reunions and all that – your brother’s the proof.  Just be smart.”

“I want to die,” Rose moaned, eyes closing as though blocking the view of Jackie could stop her from speaking.

“I’m just sayin’-”

“Please, please, please stop,” Rose begged, the Doctor nodding vigorously in agreement, face paler than she’d ever seen.

Her mother huffed but fell obediently silent, continuing on with her meal though Rose and the Doctor had given up.  They exchanged looks, and the Doctor suddenly realized that committing to a normal life on Earth with Rose had one major downfall – it meant life with Jackie.

-

“Right, so I’m going to be sitting up here for the flight, listening to music.  Up here.  In the front.  Far from the back,” Jackie emphasized, leading the couple onto the private airship.  “Feel free to take over whatever space you like.  I’ll be up here.  Far from the bedroom.”

Rose rolled her eyes at her mother’s lack of subtlety, though it did seem to go over the Doctor’s head.  “Thanks, Mum.  We’ll be in the back – there’s a lot to talk about.”

Grabbing the Doctor’s hand, she headed towards the far end of the ship, dragging him along.

They were just to the first door when Jackie called, “Oh!  Rose, there’s condoms in the desk in the bedroom!  Be safe!”

Face flaming, Rose refused to make eye contact with the stewardess, pulling a spluttering Doctor behind to the bedroom, firmly shutting it behind her.

“Rose!” he exclaimed, eyes wide.  “She thinks we’re going to- to-”

“I know, but we’re not,” she rolled her eyes, sinking down on her back on the mattress.  “It’s just the quietest place on the ship, and we won’t be interrupted if everyone thinks that.  Seems like there’s a lot to discuss before we get to London and people – namely Mum and Dad – start making assumptions on what happens next.”

“Ah.”  The Doctor stuck his hands in his pockets, rocking side to side as he stood beside the bed.

“You can lie down too, you know,” she smiled up at him.  “It’s actually really comfy down here.”

He hesitated only a second before kicking off his trainers, peeling off his jacket, and flopping beside her.  The force made her bounce, and she shrieked with laughter.

He laughed as well, and by the time they’d calmed they were lying on their sides, nose to nose.

“Hi,” she whispered, and his smile lit his face.

“Hi,” he whispered back, and they giggled together for a moment.

“This doesn’t feel real,” she murmured.  “Having you here, having a forever with you.  If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up.”

The Doctor sighed, reaching out to brush her hair from her face.  “Me too.  I’m terrified I’m going to wake up back on the TARDIS, and this was all a dream.”

“I love you.”  She hadn’t meant to say it, but she was glad she had when his eyes brightened.

“I love you too, Rose Tyler,” he said without hesitation, and the way he said her name reignited the fire in her veins for him.

“We should talk,” she told him firmly, staring at his lips.  “We should really, really talk.”

“How long til we reach London?” the Doctor asked innocently, inching forward.

“Bout five hours, depending on the wind,” Rose replied breathlessly, already shifting onto her back.

“We can talk later,” he said firmly, rolling on top of her and pressing his lips to hers.

For the first few seconds the kiss was merely closed lips pressed against each other; then one opened their mouth, the other dove in, and it devolved quickly from there.

Hands wandered freely, relearning once-familiar territory.  Teeth clacked as they fought to get closer, and it didn’t take long for their hips to fall into a natural rocking rhythm.

Rose shifted her leg, and the Doctor broke the kiss to gasp at the pressure.

“I appear to be more sensitive than I was before,” he muttered, eyes falling closed at the pleasure.

“Oh, I know,” she said suggestively, bucking against him, smiling when he whimpered.

“I wanna taste you,” he whispered, rutting frantically against her.  She arched against him, panting.

“Later.  But – _mmhmm_ , take off your trousers, that’ll help now.”

He wrenched away with a groan, rolling onto his back as they both fought to remove their trousers.  “Pants?”

“Okay,” she replied, sliding both garments down her hips as one; as soon as she’d kicked them off, she planted her feet wide and slid one hand down between her thighs to glide through the slickness that had accumulated.

Finally struggling free, the Doctor came up on his knees and moved around in front of her as he stroked himself.  “How far?”

Her mind going hazy with pleasure, it took Rose several seconds to answer.  “Inside?”

“Please,” he begged, falling forward to brace himself over her.  He ran the head over her folds, coating it in her wetness in preparation.

“Do it,” she ordered, still rubbing at herself with one hand as the other came over her head to grip at the headboard.  “ _Shit_.”

He’d intended to start slowly, but he slid in so easily he was fully seated before he realized it.  Pausing momentarily to allow her to adjust, he waited for her to nod before he began moving, starting a sloppy, desperate rhythm against her.

It was over far too quickly; half a dozen thrusts and he was gone, grunting her name as he released inside her, all but collapsing on top of her as he fought for breath.

“Sorry,” he wheezed into her neck.  “Couldn’t help it.”

Thankfully Rose took it well, giggling and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.  “It’s okay, love.”

“It’s really not,” he yawned, sleep already starting to claim him.

She merely held him, managing to maneuver them beneath the covers before allowing sleep to take her as well.

-

Rose drifted awake, a pleasant ache between her thighs.  Sighing, she realized there was a pressure on her lower stomach; opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was the Doctor nestled between her legs, drawing patterns on the inside of her thighs with his fingers as he kissed her belly.

“You’re awake,” he said happily, pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses to her skin.

“Are you sure?  I’ve definitely had this dream before,” she countered, propping herself up on her elbows to see him better.

“You have?”  The Doctor’s head jerked up in surprise, and he stared up her body to meet her gaze.

“Yeah, course I have.  We have this conversation in it sometimes too, which is why I wonder,” she teased.

“I’ve had similar dreams,” he admitted, before his expression turned mischievous.  “And I bet I know how to prove it’s real.”

Before Rose could even process the comment, he’d dipped his head down to run his tongue up the length of her folds to circle around her still-sensitive clit.

“ _Fuck_!” she panted, falling back against the pillows.  “You can keep doing that.”

“Can I now?” he asked in amusement.  “What’s in it for me?”

“Well, you’ve already come twice and I’ve not at all.  If you need more convincing, this is _so_ not gonna work.”  Her eyes widened once she realized what she said, and she tensed for him to withdraw.

Thankfully he seemed to take it as the joke it was, as he burst out laughing.  “I’m only teasing, Rose.”  To prove his point he repeated the action, this time taking it slower and making her moan.

“God, I’ve missed this,” she muttered, relaxing into the mattress as he began in earnest.  He hummed in reply, trying out different techniques against her sensitive flesh.  It wasn’t long before she was tugging at his hair and pulling a pillow over her face to muffle her cries as he brought her up and over twice, not letting her rest before starting again.

After her third orgasm, she let him bring her down before shoving his head away.  “Can’t take any more right now,” she murmured, panting as though she’d run a marathon.

His pleased smirk as he straightened up made her whimper, but she didn’t think she had it in her for another.

“Weren’t we going to talk?” he asked innocently, moving up to stretch out beside her, wiping his mouth with the corner of the sheet.

“Uh huh,” Rose muttered, letting her eyes fall closed as she enjoyed the pleasure still humming her in veins.

“Rose.”

She sighed, gingerly rolling onto her side to face him.  “Hi.”

“Hello,” he smiled at her.  “All right?”

“Brilliant,” she smiled back.  “Anyway, there are things you probably need to hear that you won’t be happy about, and I’d rather you do your yelling when it’s just me.  Actually…” she scrambled up on her knees, wriggling her eyebrows.  “I think I’ve an idea to make you more amenable.”  Rose reached for his pants, but he grabbed her wrist.

“No.”

“No?”  She raised an eyebrow.  “You may very well be the first bloke in all of history to turn down head; congratulations.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” he said seriously.  “I mean, don’t feel like there’s anything that needs to be… made up for, or that you have to convince me to stay.  You don’t.  Especially not with sexual favors.  Nice as they are, they’re not my preferred currency.”

Rose bit her lip, slowly withdrawing her hand back to her own lap.  “Okay.”

“Just tell me,” he said gently, taking her hand in his.

“Well, first, you’re going to need an identity.  A real one, for things like licenses and passports and a fake birth certificate.  All of which you’ll need as well.  A back story.  Clothes.  I’m really sorry, but there’s no way you’re going to be able to get away with the same suit every day, if only for hygienic reasons.”

The Doctor made a face, but didn’t protest.  “What else?”

“We’re going to have to find a flat, or a house, or something.  I’ve been living with Mum and Pete and Tony; so was Mickey and his gran, though she’s gone here now too.”

“Okaaaay,” he sighed.  “Is there more?”

She bit her lip again, and a strange look crossed his face.  “Rose?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Course,” she shrugged, watching him expectantly.

“When I was able to reach you… when we talked on the beach-”

“Yes?” she prompted when he hesitated.

“Well, it’s just- you made it sound like…”

“Like?”  Rose raised an eyebrow, wondering what was about to come out.

“You almost implied that you were pregnant.”

She sighed, wondering why she hadn’t expected this question.  “I know.  I wasn’t, though.”

“Then why-”

“I had a scare,” she admitted.  “Turns out it was just stress or whatever, but… I’d only just found out it wasn’t- that it was a scare, and… I don’t know why I said it like that.”

The Doctor let out a shaky breath.  “Good.”

“Good?”  Rose looked up at him, startled.

He nodded.  “I don’t think I could take it.”

“You don’t want children,” she breathed, before scoffing.  “Of course you don’t, Mum complained about startin’ over at forty, I can’t imagine at nine hundred and whatever you are.”

“I’m… not opposed to it; at least, not like I would have been a year ago.  I don’t want to get into it now but – make sure I tell you about Jenny, yeah?”

She desperately wanted to ask now, but the look on his face suggested against that.  “Sure, Doctor.”

He cupped her face, thumb stroking along her cheek.  “I love you,” he repeated.  “And I meant it yesterday – I want to spend this single, human life with you.  And I may not like it, and I can’t promise not to try to get out of things, but- you’re worth it.  Anything, no matter how awful.  Including excessive time spent with Jackie.”

“I love you too,” she smiled, leaning forward to kiss him sweetly.  “And you know what?  I’m gonna do exactly as you asked.”

“That’ll be a first,” he snarked, and Rose gave him a scolding look.  “And what is that?”

Her expression lightened, and she gave him that tongue-touched smile he’d missed so desperately.

“I’m gonna have a _fantastic_ life.”

He kissed her.


End file.
